The Washington critic., 1887-12-15
The WASHINGTON CRITIC 1887.

cure the larger number of electoral
votes, aud so be elected President. He
soon got many of the Society Of Cincin-
natl as thoroughly alarmed as he APP
pearod to be himself. lie sent word to
New England that Virginia and the
other Southern States were by no means
unanimous for Washington. Thus by
declaring that Washington was in
DANGER OF DEING DEFEATED DY ADAMS,
Hamilton managed TO take two votes
from Adams in Connecticut, and by cir
culating the report in tho Middle States
and the South that New England was
not at all unanimous for Washington,
he took five votes from Adams in New
Jersey which would otherwise have
been cast for him, and made it quite
certain that south of Virginia, which
gave him five votes, Adams would be
without support. That Hamilton should
really have believed that Virginia and
other Southern States preferred Adams
to Washington, is inconccivable.
lie was simply bent on defeating
Adams, and was INSCRIPTIONS us to the
means he employed to secure that end.
The more vigorous political enemies of
Adams were also, like Hamilton. from
alists followers of George Clinton, who,
during the contest over the ratification
of the Constitution, had organized them
selves under the name of Federal Re-
publicans.
The declared preference for Clinton
on the part of the New York antiFcd-
eralists had much to do with the de-
mand for joint legislative ballot for
electors, while the Federal opposition to
him was largely the ground of Federal
stubbornness in insisting in the choice
of electors by concurrent vote of the two
branches of the Legislature, Clinton's
friends canvassed and corresponded,
and at last sent TO different sections Of
the country circular letter Civ
ing the grounds of their advo-
cacy of his claims. They urged
that it was necessary to have in the
new Government some vigorous advocate
of the numerous amendments to the
Constitution which had been recon-
mcnded by the ratifying States, and
which some States had made the condi-
ton of the ratification. Such an advo-
cate they claimed would be found in
the person of Clinton, who had been
since LII Governor of New York.
HIS ATTITUDE AS AN ANTI-FEDERALIsT
was well known, and his energy and de-
cision of character were unqucstioned.
1t was, at the time this letter was sent
out, believed that the electoral votes Of
New York would be secured for him,
and it was also expected that he would
have large support from Virginia and
other Southern States. Had not tho
legislative disagreement in New York
led to a failure to choose electors, II Is
quite probable that the first Vicc-Presi-
dent would have been George Clinton
instead of John Adams. As it was,
deprived of the vote of his own State,
he only received three votes, and these
were given him by Virginia electors.
New York, by her failure to act, did
much to scatter the opposition to Adj
ans, thereby giving him the
election by Il minority vote of the
Electoral College. The State thus
early took a position as u pivotal
State, which it has since maintained.
When the electors met in their respect
i've States, on the first Wednesday in
February, each of the electors cast ono
of his votes for George Washington of
Virginia, thus giving him a
UNANIMOUS ELECTION
to the Presidency. Each of the five
electors of New Hampshire cast his sec
ond vote for John Adams Of Massachu-
sets, as did also the ten Massachusetts
electors. Five of the Connecticut electors
also voted for Adams, but two of them
voted for Samuel Huntington of Connec.
ticut. New Jersey, as a result of Hamil'
toms intriguing, gave but ono vote fol
Adams, five of her electors giving their
second vote for John Jay Of New York.
Eight of the Pennsylvania electors voted
for Adams, while the remaining two
voted for John Hancock of Massachu
sets. Delaware gave her three votes tc
John Jay. Maryland was entitled to
eight votes, but when the Electoral Col
legc met there was found two vacancies
and as there was no provision for filling
them but six votes We're cast. Thesl
were given for Robert II. Harrison. Ir
Virginia there were also two vacancies
SO that but 10 OF her II votes were east
One half of these, five, were given fol
Adams, three for Clinton, one for Johr
Jay and one for John Hancock.
SOUTH CAROLINA HAD A ''FAvoRITE SON
in the person of John Rutledgc, whom
each of her electors complimented will
his second vote, while the Georgi
electors seemed to regard their State a
rich in "favorite sons" two of then
giving their second vote for John Mil
ton, one for James Armstrong and on
for Edward Telfair. The fifth electo
gave his vote for the sturdy old patriot
BENJAMIN Lincoln of Massachusetts. o
the original thirteen States no votes wer
cast by Rhode Island, North Carolin
and New York, the two former nc
having ratified the Constitution, Will
the failure of the latter has been alread
explained. The ten States voting wer
entitled to 73 votes, but owing to tn
vacancies in the colleges of Marylan
and Virginia, but 50 electors voted
George Washington received 50 vote,
=, John Adams 81, one less than maiol
ity, but having the next highest numbt
+, was constitutionally
/ ELECTED As vICE-PREsIDENT.
! The other 80 votes were cast as 70
: lows: John Jay of New York received
y Robert II. Harrison of Maryland,
: John Rutledge Of South Carolina,
y John Hammock of Massachusetts,
:. George Clinton of New York, 3; Samu
i Huntington of Connecticut, .; John Mi
/. ton of Georgia, ., and James Armstrol
i of Georgia, Benjamin Lincol
+ of Massachusetts, and Edwal
: Tclfair of Georgia, l eacl
4 Adams received but u minority vot
: but had the electors of the other Stat
n followed the example Of those of Geo
/ gia, South Carolina, and Maryland, I'll